West Shore RCMP 2020 Annual Year End Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• MESSAGE FROM THE OFFICER IN CHARGE ................................................................................................. 1
• TABLE OF CONTENTS.......................................................................................................................................... 2
• WEST SHORE RCMP ............................................................................................................................................. 3
• STATISTICS............................................................................................................................................................. 4
• STRATEGIC POLICING PRIORITIES – ANNUAL PERFORMANCE PLAN .............................................12
• GREATER VICTORIA POLICE VICTIM SERVICES (GVPVS).....................................................................18
• PROLIFIC OFFENDER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (POM) ......................................................................19
• SOCIAL MEDIA.....................................................................................................................................................19
• STATS & FACTS ...................................................................................................................................................21

WEST SHORE RCMP

RCMP & WEST SHORE COMMUNITIES

West Shore RCMP proudly serves approximately 85,127¹ citizens and is the fastest growing region on the South Island. West Shore RCMP report to five municipalities including the Cities of Langford and Colwood, the Town of View Royal and the Districts of Metchosin and Highlands. West Shore RCMP also serves the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations and portions of the Malahat. West Shore RCMP police rural and suburban residential neighborhoods, commercial & industrial zones, recreational waterfront areas, provincial parks and the Trans-Canada Highway.

¹ Police Services Division provides population data. The 2020 population figure is projected. Population figures utilize Census data; however, to align the data with policing boundaries as opposed to Census boundaries, an algorithm is applied.

West Shore is situated in a beautiful location between the Malahat and the Cities of Victoria and Saanich. West Shore has one of the fastest rising populations in the area thanks to lower housing costs and increasing amenities.

Ninety-six sworn officers, one reserve constable, twelve commissionaires and fifty-four civilian personnel staffed West Shore RCMP in 2020. Together they handled 23,030 service calls², an average of 63 calls per day.³

West Shore RCMP also supports and works in conjunction with the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU), Forensic Identification Services (FIS), the Regional Domestic Violence Unit (RDVU), the Integrated Mobile Crisis Response Team (IMCRT) and the Mobile Youth Services Team (MYST). West Shore detachment supports the aforementioned integrated units through the secondment of Detachment personnel on a full time or rotational basis and through financial contributions towards their budgets. In 2020, West Shore Detachment provided 2 officers to VIIMCU, 1 officer to RDVU and 1 officer to FIS (Table 1). On an on-call basis, West Shore Detachment provided 5 officers to the Vancouver Island RCMP Tactical Team (VITT), 1 officer as Crisis Negotiator, and 2 officers to the Vancouver Island RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT). We also have 2 officers dedicated to Police Dog Service (PDS) and access to 2 Criminal Drug Interdictions dogs (a dog used to intercept drug trafficking in vehicles, funded by the Province) based at West Shore.

Table 1 - Secondments

West Shore RCMP works with & receives support from other Provincial Units and RCMP sections including the Integrated Road Safety Unit (IRSU), RCMP Air Services, RCMP Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU), Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU), RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT), Vancouver Island Underwater Recovery Team (URT), RCMP Special I and Federal Serious and Organized Crime (FSOC) teams, E Division Communications and E Division Traffic Services.

STATISTICS

REPORTED INCIDENTS

Table 2 depicts the total incidents in each West Shore municipality, district & First Nations Reserve for 2019 & 2020, along with the file count (+/-) & percent change.

Incidents reported to West Shore in 2020 decreased by 4% compared to 2019. This decrease may be due, in part, to the pandemic and targeted enforcement of prolific offenders by the specialized units. Colwood, Malahat area⁴, Songhees Nation and Metchosin saw increases in the number of reported incidents while Esquimalt Nation, Highlands, Langford, and View Royal saw decreases.

Table 2 - 2019/2020 Reported Incidents Comparative Figures

² Includes online reports ³ 2020 was a leap year with 366 days ⁴ Provincial & part of Langford jurisdiction

REPORTED INCIDENTS & POPULATION

Table 3 depicts the reported incidents per 1000 persons and the percentage of reported incidents per population for the municipalities, provincial areas⁵ and all West Shore.

Table 3 – Reported Incidents Per 1000 Population & Percentage of Population

⁵ West Shore Provincial includes highway areas, Highlands & Metchosin Districts & First Nations Reserves.

Langford had the highest number of incidents per 1000 persons (290 calls per 1000 persons) and as a percentage of the population followed by View Royal, Colwood and West Shore Provincial.

TOP 5 SERVICE CALLS

Some service calls are more prevalent than other types and some calls tend to require more time and resources from initial response to conclusion.

Figure 1 illustrates the Top 5 calls for service in 2020. Traffic incidents were the most prevalent calls followed by Breaches, Check Well Being, Assist Police/Fire/Ambulance calls and Property related offences. Traffic incidents include, but are not limited to, driving complaints, insurance violations, seatbelts, speeding, erratic/dangerous driving and road rage reports.

Figure 2 depicts the Top 5 most time consuming calls in 2020. Check Well Being calls were the most time-consuming call type followed by Domestic In Progress, Suicidal Person, Assist Police/Fire/Ambulance and Disturbances.

CRIMINAL CODE OFFENCES

West Shore RCMP officers respond to a vast array of service calls, including Criminal Code & non-Criminal Code incidents.

TOP 5 CRIMINAL CODE OFFENCES – CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS

There were 1,025 Crimes Against Persons in 2020. Of the 1,025 offences, Assaults accounted for the highest incidence of offences followed by Uttering Threats, Harassing Communications, Sexual Assault and Assault With Weapon (Figure 3).

TOP 5 CRIMINAL CODE OFFENCES – OFFENCES AGAINST PROPERTY

Property related offences account for the highest incidence of criminal code offences in West Shore. In 2020, there were 2,409 Offences Against Property. Of the 2,409 offences, Mischief (to property) accounted for the highest incidence of offences, followed by Theft From Vehicle, Shoplifting, Theft - Other and Mischief (enjoyment of property) (Figure 4).

TOP 5 CRIMINAL CODE OFFENCES – OTHER CRIMINAL CODE VIOLATIONS

Other Criminal Code Violations (Other CC) consists of a variety of violations that do not fall under Crimes Against Persons or Offences Against Property. Other CC violations include, but are not limited to, Cause Disturbance, Breach of Probation, Fail to Appear and Obstruction.

Of the 1,137 Other CC violations in 2020, Cause Disturbance was the most prevalent violation, representing 36.41% of files (Figure 5). Breach/Bail Violations was the second highest violation followed by Fail to Appear, Breach of Probation and Indecent Acts / Exposing.

TOP 5 CRIMINAL CODE OFFENCES – CONTROLLED DRUGS & SUBSTANCES ACT VIOLATIONS (CDSA)

There were 178 CDSA Violations in 2020. Figure 6 depicts the Top 5 CDSA Violations. The top 5 CDSA violations are Possession Other Schedule 1 Drugs, Possession of Methamphetamine, Trafficking Cocaine, Trafficking Other Schedule 1 Drugs and Possession of Fentanyl. Drug possession violations typically occur in conjunction with other offences (e.g. property crimes).

CRIMINAL CHARGES

In 2020, West Shore investigators recommended 1,214 charges to Crown Counsel. Table 4 shows the number of 2019/2020 investigations grouped by Uniform Crime Report (UCR) category where Crown approved charge(s) or where Police recommended charges, but Crown declined to approve the charge(s). It is important to note that there may be more than one charge per investigation. Criminal charge files may contain multiple counts or additional accused charged with a criminal offence. This file count represents files where at least one criminal charge was recommended to Crown for charge approval.

Table 4 - Charges by UCR Category

TRAFFIC STATISTICS

Traffic related calls represent the highest incidence of all calls for service in West Shore jurisdiction, accounting for 7.9% of calls in 2020. Traffic related calls include, but are not limited to, Fail to Stop, Insurance Violations, Collisions, Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Driving While Prohibited.

In 2020, West Shore RCMP received 804 collision reports. Figure 7 depicts the percentage of fatal collisions, injury collisions and non-injury collisions in 2020.

TOP 5 CRIMINAL TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS

Figure 8 highlights the top 5 Criminal Traffic Violations⁶ in West Shore in 2020. Impaired Operation Motor Vehicle by Alcohol was the most prevalent followed by Impaired Operation Motor Vehicle by Drug, Driving While Prohibited, Impaired Operation Motor Vehicle by Alcohol and Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle / Evading Police.

⁶ Not all traffic violations generate a police file (e.g. speeding, seatbelts, etc.) & these figures are not comprehensive.

OTHER STATISTICS

LICENSED PREMISES CHECKS

The majority of bars and nightclubs are in downtown Victoria, however; West Shore hosts several establishments that are open late and are popular drinking locations. In 2020, officers conducted 13 bar-walks at licensed establishments, representing an 86% decrease compared to 2019. The majority of the bar-walks were conducted at Darcy’s Pub. Due to Covid-19, less bar walks were conducted due to establishments being closed (take away only).

Licensed drinking establishments sometimes generate activity requiring a police response. Figure 9 illustrates the service calls at licensed premises in West Shore in 2019 & 2020. The number of calls differ by establishment, with some establishments having more calls than other establishments. Overall, there was a 41% decrease in service calls at licensed establishments in 2020 compared to 2019. The decrease in calls may be attributed in part to Provincial Health Orders and Covid-19 restrictions on establishments where take-out was the predominant option.

INADMISSABLE PATRONS PROGRAM

The West Shore RCMP’s Inadmissible Patrons Program (IPP) was implemented in the summer of 2020. It is a public safety partnership to discourage and deter violent acts in and around West Shore’s restaurants and pubs. The program is developed in consultation with local business, public partnerships and the West Shore RCMP.

An inadmissible Patron (IP) is a person whose lifestyle, associations, and activities may pose a risk to public safety, either directly or from third parties. This definition reflects that it is the high risk behavior of these individuals and groups that is of chief concern.

The West Shore RCMP Inadmissible Patrons Program relies on authorization by the owner or designated representative of each participating location by way of a clearly posted “Inadmissible Patrons Policy” sign at each entrance to that location. This authorizes sworn members of the West Shore RCMP and their partner police agencies, to act on the location’s behalf to deny entry to and/or remove any persons they determine to be Inadmissible Patrons.

MENTAL HEALTH ACT

West Shore RCMP often respond to calls where there is a mental health component. Under the Mental Health Act (MHA), police may apprehend individuals for their protection and for public safety. Individuals apprehended under the MHA are taken to Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria (adults only) or to the Victoria General Hospital (VGH) (youth only) for medical assistance. MHA apprehensions are time consuming, as police officers are required to take individuals to a physician for examination and must remain with the individual until the physician has determined if they will be committed under the MHA.

An upward trend continues with service calls with a mental health component (Figure 10). In 2020, there were 1,759 calls representing a 36% increase compared to 1,296 calls in 2019. These calls included suicidal persons and Mental Health Act apprehensions. In 2020, West Shore RCMP responded to 647 calls for service that were related to suicidal persons and officers spent 1,409 hours attending to these types of calls.

When making an apprehension under the Mental Health Act, the law requires a police officer to take an individual to a designated medical facility immediately for assessment by a medical doctor. Figure 11 depicts the average wait times per apprehension for 2020. The average time per call indicates West Shore RCMP members spent approximately 1.8 hours per apprehension. Times do not factor in investigation time or transit time. There were 290 apprehensions in 2020 of which 195 were admitted to hospital.

NEW ROADS THERAPEUTIC RECOVERY COMMUNITY

New Roads Therapeutic Recovery Community (formerly known as Our Place), located at 94 Talcott Rd, View Royal, is a secured long-term treatment facility for men who are experiencing substance abuse issues.⁷ Therapeutic housing is available for 9 – 24 months. As of January 15, 2021, the facility housed 20 residents, 13 of whom are bound by court orders and must remain at the facility. West Shore RCMP have protocols with the Director of the facility when attending calls for service.

In 2020, West Shore RCMP received 25 calls for service at the facility. The majority of these calls were regarding residents who had breached their court conditions and left the property or were causing a disturbance at the property and were asked to leave by staff. The West Shore RCMP has liaised with the Colwood Probation Office to submit charges against residents breaching their conditions.

⁷ Images: https://www.ourplacesociety.com/new-roads, https://gowestshore.com/a-healing-pathway-to-hope/

STRATEGIC POLICING PRIORITIES – ANNUAL PERFORMANCE PLAN

ANNUAL PERFORMANCE PLAN (APP) 2020 - 2021

West Shore RCMP’s management team works closely with our five distinct detachment communities and First Nations Reserves to identify local policing priorities. Each RCMP Detachment in British Columbia is mandated to prepare an Annual Performance Plan⁸ that addresses local policing priorities. Through consultation with elected officials and senior staff, the West Shore RCMP APP focuses on the issues identified throughout the region. The APP is designed to be flexible to the changing needs of the communities and the priorities are continually revisited and adjusted accordingly.

The six key priorities identified for 2020-2021 fiscal year were Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking, Enhancing Road Safety, Enhancing Relationships with Indigenous Communities, Reducing Property Crimes and Communicating Effectively with our partners.

ORGANIZED CRIME & DRUG TRAFFICKING

HIGHLIGHTS:

• In October 2019, West Shore RCMP created a dedicated Drugs & Organized Crime Unit (DOCU), which is comprised of 4 Constables and 1 Corporal, overseen by the Sergeant in Serious Crimes Unit. Since its creation, the DOCU identified several drug dealers in the West Shore using undercover operations.
• On February 18th 2020, a 29 year old suspect was arrested and four search warrants were executed on two vehicles, an apartment in View Royal, and an townhouse in Central Saanich. The searches led to the recovery of cash and a variety of illicit drugs including Methamphetamine, Ketamine, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), Cocaine, Xanax, and Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms).
• On April 24th 2020, DOCU executed 3 search warrants on separate properties that were suspected of drug trafficking. Investigators conducted covert surveillance and gathered evidence of drug trafficking. The search warrants were executed on residences located in the Greater Victoria area including Sooke, Saanich and Langford. Investigators believe these residences were connected in a sophisticated multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking ring.

• In July 2020 DOCU arrested 5 suspects following an investigation into a multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking operation. Following a nearly year long complex investigation, the unit executed 3 search warrants on 2 residences and 1 business located in the Capital Regional & Cowichan Valley Districts. Police searched properties in Langford, Shawnigan Lake and Duncan and believe all three are related to the same drug trafficking operation. Evidence including approximately 90 grams of suspected Cocaine, a prohibited modified handgun (found loaded and stored unsafely), 4 replica handguns and other prohibited weapons including brass knuckles and a switch blade knife were located. Police also recovered a stolen vehicle and stolen mountain bike during the search. Two additional vehicles and a motor bike were seized as evidence as police believe they were used in the commission of crime(s). One the properties also contained an illegal marijuana grow operation which was not licensed and had over 100 plants.

⁸ The APP follows the RCMP fiscal year, April 1st to March 31st

ENHANCING ROAD SAFETY

West Shore Detachment currently operates a four person Traffic Services Unit. The Traffic Services Unit regularly engage with detachment officers by holding educational sessions focusing on training and proper application of the law and provincial statutes. Along with traffic enforcement, the unit investigates vehicle collisions resulting in fatalities.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Traffic Unit members have assisted frontline officers by attending priority 3 and 4 service calls. Support units like the Traffic Unit are available to back fill frontline policing if/when frontline members become ill with COVID-19.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Traffic Services Unit is comprised of 3 Constables and 1 Corporal. One Corporal retired from the unit this fall after 42 years service and a new Corporal was welcomed to the unit as of November 2020.
• Monthly traffic enforcement campaigns were launched in 2018 for high-risk areas and school zones. These campaigns continued in 2019 and 2020 have been successful in getting motorists to slow down in areas that were identified as high risk zones for speeding.
• West Shore RCMP issued thousands of written warnings and 1601 violation tickets in 2020, including 614 for speeding, 101 for distracted driving and 447 for a variety of driving offences.

• In Dec 2020, the unit teamed up with the Integrated Road Safety Unit for an educational campaign check stop on Bear Mountain where over 600 vehicles were checked to ensure they had the proper winter tires. About 20 vehicles were found to have the wrong type of tire or insufficient tread depth. These drivers were issued warnings. Only 1 violation ticket was issued to a driver for speeding through the check stop.

• In May 2020 the unit worked with ICBC for a 2 week campaign targeting speed enforcement in high traffic areas by setting up speed boards and educating drivers on speed limits in areas that tend to generate speeding complaints from the public.

ENHANCING RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

West Shore RCMP has one dedicated First Nations Policing (FNR) officer. The FNP officer’s role focuses on fostering relationships with Indigenous People in West Shore, specifically the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Our FNP officer routinely meets with Chiefs & representatives from the Songhees & Esquimalt Nations to discuss & implement crime prevention programs & identify community priorities.
• This year, our FNP officer collaborated with Songhees & Esquimalt Nations and applied for grant funding for the RCMP to obtain a 35-foot Pacific Dancer Canoe for youth engagement projects. The canoe was decorated with Indigenous art and is to be used in both formal ceremonies as well as informal gatherings with the Indigenous communities. It’s a way for the West Shore RCMP to participate in cultural events while honoring Indigenous traditions.
• Our FNP officer originally planned and organized a 3-Day Cultural Camp for community youth to start in June and had also planned on participating in traditional canoe races and cultural protocols at the National Indigenous Peoples Day Celebrations at Royal Roads University. Unfortunately, due to the current pandemic safety protocols, these activities were postponed but are expected to take place later in 2021.
• Despite the pandemic, our FNP officer discovered methods to deliver DARE⁹ programming to the students of Craig Flower and View Royal Elementary; children from the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations predominately attend these schools.
• In December 2020, our FNP officer recognized that there were 3 families in one of the Nations that were not able to afford a Christmas dinner or gifts for their children. The FNP officer took it upon himself to organize a detachment Christmas gift & dinner drive for the family. The response from the officers & civilian staff was overwhelming and all donations were given to the families. Additional gifts were donated to the Ministry Of Child and Family Development.

⁹ Drug Abuse Resistance Education

REDUCING PROPERTY CRIMES

West Shore RCMP’s Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) is comprised of 1 Corporal and 4 Constables and is overseen by the Sergeant in charge of Serious Crimes.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• West Shore RCMP actively monitor individuals placed on court ordered curfew or house arrest. Frontline officers also take part in this by conducting routine curfew checks to ensure offenders compliance with court ordered conditions; a number of these checks have resulted in breach charges.

• In July 2020, CRU identified suspects and linked three thefts that had taken place at Shopper Drug Mart in Sidney, Saanich and West Shore to an Organized Crime group out of Markham, Ontario. York Regional Police monitored an address in Markham and observed that boxes filled with stolen items from all over Canada being delivered to the Markham address. What began as a relatively simple theft investigation lead to the uncovering of a massive national stolen property trafficking ring and the recovery of over $250,000 of stolen property.
• In autumn 2020, CRU uncovered a massive identity theft and fraud operation taking place on Vancouver Island. The unit executed a search warrant that lead to the recovery of items that were stolen from 8 storage units in West Shore as well as thousands of pieces of stolen Identification that was being used to commit fraud and identity theft. The fraud was in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Two suspects were arrested for possession of stolen property and fraud-related offences. Since then, investigators have been diligently working through the evidence and as a result have connected this operation to over 25 unsolved frauds and thefts reported to the police in the past 2 years.

BIKE PATROL UNIT

West Shore RCMP’s Bike Patrol Unit (BPU) is comprised of 1 Corporal and 3 Constables. The unit has been in operation since July 2018 and has had a number of successes since its implementation.

Bicycle patrol enforcement limits the carbon footprint of police vehicles and the officers are considered more approachable by the community than officers in a vehicle. The Bike Patrol Unit is a uniformed, visible, enforcement presence that conducts year round bicycle patrol in areas not easily accessible by vehicle. This mode of transportation allows police officers to respond to situations quickly and quietly day or night. Police officers are able to utilize all their senses in detecting illegal activity.

This unit has dedicated its resources to issues raised by the General Duty Watches, West Shore Serious Crime Unit, the Crime Analyst and from the community. The unit targets prolific offenders by zeroing in on property crime patterns (i.e. increasing their patrols in areas where vehicle break-ins are predominant). The ultimate goal is to ensure safe homes and communities and reduce crime in the West Shore.

In 2020, the unit was temporarily put on hold and its members were redeployed to different watches in order to support frontline policing demands during the pandemic. This has impacted the unit’s usual mandate and visibility within the community, however we expect the unit to be reunited once the pandemic restrictions lift. Despite the unit being broken up, the unit officers have still executed 11 search warrants for a variety of investigations including recovering stolen property and apprehending drug traffickers.

In 2020 the unit arrested 46 individuals who were wanted on arrest warrants. They also recommended 109 charges to Crown Counsel for criminal offences occurring in West Shore.

Since the Bike Patrol Unit came into effect (2018), they have arrested over 126 suspects wanted for criminal offences. Additionally, the unit has recommended over 229 criminal charges to Crown Counsel for offences occurring in West Shore.

POLICE / COMMUNITY RELATIONS: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

West Shore RCMP’s Community Policing & Crime Prevention Unit is comprised of 1 Corporal and 2 Constables. The unit mandate is to actively engage with the West Shore communities through the delivery of a variety of educational & prevention programs and fundraising initiatives. There were plans to increase the unit to 3 Constables by spring 2020, however, due to the pandemic, these plan were temporarily put on hold as the unit was called upon to assist frontline policing during the pandemic.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Community Policing Services (CPS) focused on continued communication throughout 2020.
• Due to COVID-19 many of the school programs and education initiatives normally administered by CPS were put on hold to prevent the possibility of exposure.
• School talks were conducted via ZOOM or other social media platforms.
• CPS also runs the Auxiliary Constable program and hosts a number of community volunteers who dedicate their time to programs such as Speed Watch & Keeping In Touch (outreach to the elderly in our community). These programs remained intact throughout the pandemic as they are largely run outdoors or via phone.
• CPS has been heavily involved in attending Royal Bay and Belmont High Schools and liaising with students and teachers at elementary schools in the West Shore. In years past, a CPS officer visited at least one school in West Shore once per school day; in 2020 this changed to the CPS officers conducting school patrols though the school zones due to Covid-19.

GREATER VICTORIA POLICE VICTIM SERVICES (GVPVS)

Victim Services is a volunteer based program that works with police to assist people that have been impacted by crime and trauma. Their vision is to help victims achieve a state of well-being and assist in their recovery. They provide services to victims of crime or trauma who may or may not have reported the crime to police or be involved with the criminal justice system. Their clients can include children as well as adults.

Victim services:

• Provide emotional and practical support;
• Make referrals to government and private services;
• Devise safety plans;
• Assist with Crime Victim Assistance applications;
• Assist with Victim Impact Statements;
• Provide information about the court and criminal justice systems;
• Accompany victims to court;
• Provide education on victim rights and services.

CASES REFERRED BY POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR 2020

PROLIFIC OFFENDER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (POM)

West Shore RCMP participates in the Prolific Offender Management Program in conjunction with Municipal Police Agencies, Corrections, Probation, Crown and various Social Agencies throughout the Southern Island Region. The POM program was created due to the emerging consensus that a small proportion of offenders commits a disproportionate percentage of crime; particularly property crime. POM emphasizes inter-agency collaboration as a means to effectively target these individuals, reduce re-offending and increase community safety.

POM candidates are selected based on several factors including the number of police contacts and are then supported by an integrated team of service providers. Persons selected to participate in the POM program receive individually tailored support including employment referrals, housing and income assistance and assistance with access to mental health and substance abuse treatment. Immediate response to reoffending or breaching conditions is the second component to the strategy with prompt apprehension and conviction with the assistance of Crown Counsel who manages files based on custom prepared POM templates from police.

Of the 13 Prolific Offenders in the Greater Victoria Region, West Shore managed four offenders in 2020. One of four offenders was in custody throughout the year and together they had 114 combined police contacts in 2020.

It is notable that when these offenders are incarcerated, property crimes such as break & enters, auto thefts and thefts from motor vehicles decrease dramatically. All the offenders also suffer from drug &/or alcohol addictions, which factors significantly in their criminal offending.

SOCIAL MEDIA

WEBSITE

West Shore RCMP website is continuously updated to reflect the latest policing news. The website contains information pertaining to some of the most commonly asked questions including Police Information Checks, contact information, volunteer and other programs and the various services West Shore RCMP Detachment offers. The public is able to view emerging West Shore RCMP news releases and there is a direct link to Crime Stoppers.

TWITTER

Since February 2015, West Shore RCMP has been actively engaging the communities on social media via Twitter (@WestshoreRCMP). The West Shore RCMP’s Twitter account has the “blue verified badge”, meaning that Twitter reviewed the account and verified that it is an authentic account of public interest. Many people want information directly from the source, rather than from mainstream media, this is where applications like Twitter come in. Our goals is to provide information in a way that makes it the most accessible to our communities and social media plays a big role in providing that information to the public.

In 2020, we were able to solve numerous investigations by enlisting the help in identifying suspects. In some cases, the suspects identified were responsible for multiple crimes. We are grateful for our followers on social media who reached out to police and assisted with these identifications. The West Shore RCMP’s Twitter account reaches over 8,000 profiles and on average has over 200,000 tweet impressions every month. That’s a considerable increase from 2017 where we were reaching 2500 profiles and 50,000 tweet impressions.

West Shore RCMP will continue to provide accurate and timely information to highlight matters of public safety and public interest, as well as building trust and confidence of the West Shore Communities.

Follow us on Twitter @Westshorercmp

STATS & FACTS

The West Shore RCMP Annual Report provides an overview of various statistics & policing in West Shore & is not comprehensive. The statistics presented in this report were retrieved from RCMP E Division Business Intelligence and the British Columbia Police Records Information Management Environment (PRIME) & are accurate on the retrieval date. All data is preliminary and is subject to change based on investigational factors and data quality processes. In cases of discrepancy with previous/subsequent data, the most current data will take precedence. Data collection utilized “most serious offence” scoring consistent with Statistics Canada and the British Columbia Ministry of Justice (Police Services Division (PSD)) data collection practices. Police Services Division provides population data. Collision data is not complete as it only includes files where police attended and not all collisions reported to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC). Impaired Operation denotes impaired by alcohol &/or drugs.

Founded occurrences gathered as of January 2019 include offences where it has been determined that the reported incident did occur or was attempted, or there was no credible evidence to confirm that the incident did not take place. Prior to 2019, only offences that were proven to have occurred were included in founded occurrences. This change in reporting may result in an increase when comparing post 2019 founded occurrences with reports from previous years.